4/27/09

CITY ISLAND: BIG FAT HIT!

Above: Mickey Rourke and Andy Garcia chumming it up at our premiere night. This photo appeared in AM New York and will no doubt go down in history as one of the great "odd couple" pairings of all time. Andy told me that Mickey loved the film...

NOTE TO PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED THE SCREENING: If you want to leave comments about the movie, go to our official website:www.cityislandthemovie.com

Leave your comments on the part called "Share Your Secret". Or just share your secret. It's a bit confusing and I think we'll fix things so there'll be a separate "share your comments" section. But until then, leave your comments on the movie on the "share your secret" section. It's very important to us--as I explained before the screening last night--to build an on-line support community for this movie. So if, in addition to leaving your comments, you could also give us your e-mail addresses, we could begin to form a "City Island" community--one in which you will play a vital and important role in helping get this movie out to the public.

So, at the risk of sounding self-consumed, hyperbolic and hype-driven let me tell you what happened last night: our film was a BIG FAT HIT. Almost constant laughter from the beginning of the film to its conclusion, broken only by applause for individual scenes (Andy's "audition scene" seems to stand out as a set-piece tour de force) and by the audible sounds of crying at the conclusion. I didn't know we'd made a film that caused laugh out loud reactions and I can't begin to explain the feeling it gives you to know that what you've created actually moves a room full of people (and there were 900 OF THEM) to openly express their emotions. At the end of the film, the audience rose and gave us a standing ovation. Can you imagine? I saw it from backstage where I was preparing to bring on the cast for a q&a. But a standing ovation is the same as viewed from the back or the front: an incredible and heartfelt group gesture of delight and support. We were, frankly, stunned.

Once the applause finally died down I introduced Andy and he came to the stage. Together we invited the rest of the cast to join us. And the q&a was quite delightful--not a lot of questions so much as a lot of vocal support for the movie. People just wanting to say out loud how moving and funny and thoughtful the felt the film was. One lovely woman said something to the effect of: "I have troubles in my life but your movie made me forget them and also made me understand that we all have them..."

Two parties followed: the official post-screening party--at which a number of people who worked on the film but who couldn't attend last months cast/crew screening dropped by and seemed awfully pleased at the finished product; then a private dinner at a lovely restaurant in Soho (but what the hell was it called?) for the producers, investors and cast...

Kudos to all involved. The selling of the film is now underway. If we could have bottled last nights reaction, we'd have the ability to change the world...or at least the slice of the world held under sway by the entertainment industry. More to follow.Much much more...

I'm so happy that you received such a wonderful reaction and hope this means the rest of us will be seeing your movie soon. Can't wait for reviews as it sounds like this was a crowd-pleaser. I'm also excited to hear more from you about last night, etc.

Congratulations to you all.I am so happy to hear of the great reaction to the film. Makes me want to see it even more,if that's possible.I agree with your comments about the photo of Andy and Mickey Rourke. Hard to believe that he was Andy's baseball coach when they were at school in Miami. Look forward to hearing more about the night.